Optical Prism April 2016 | Page 37

LUXOTTICA ANNOUNCES LEADERSHIP CHANGES Luxottica announced several internal changes with several key team members. Longtime Luxottica executive Mary Anne Stangby has been promoted to SVP & GM of Sunglass Hut North America. She will be replacing John Haugh who will be leaving to join Iconix as CEO. Mary Anne was previously SVP & GM of Sears Optical at Luxottica. With Mary Anne's move, Alexis McLaughlin, who is SVP & GM of Target Optical, will add the Sears business to her responsibilities. Pete Bridgman who is currently SVP & GM of Pearle Vision, is being elevated to SVP & GM of LensCrafters. Eric Anderson, who previously lead LensCrafters, has made the decision to leave the company. Finally, Alex Wilkes, who has lead the eye care team at LensCrafters, will be promoted to SVP & GM for Pearle Vision. Essilor Acquires Vision Direct In The UK In Europe, Essilor International has strengthened its online optical products retailing business with the acquisition of Vision Direct Group Ltd, one of Europe’s leading online contact lens retailers, with revenue of around £33 million in 2015. Vision Direct does a majority of its business in the UK and Ireland, but is also active in several other European countries and enjoys a reputation for excellent customer service. This move further strengthens Essilor International’s current positions in online optical retail in Europe, by complementing existing activities in the Nordic countries. Vision Direct’s existing management team will remain in place, and will leverage Essilor International’s know-how to continue growing the Vision Direct business, by broadening its optical products offering and further expanding its geographic footprint. Optical Prism | April 2016 35